This application claims priority of Taiwanese application No. 092208418, filed on May 8, 2003.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cutting apparatus with a position adjustable light-emitting unit for maintaining projection of a spotlight upon a working area around a workpiece during a cutting operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A light source is normally provided for illuminating a working area around a cutting apparatus, such as a circular saw. It is known that a light-emitting unit can be fixed to a blade-holding arm of the circular saw for projecting a spotlight upon an area around a workpiece on a base of the circular saw. However, since the light-emitting unit pivots together with the blade-holding arm relative the base of the circular saw, the spotlight projected from the light-emitting unit will move when the blade-holding arm is pivoted during a cutting operation, which can result in poor illumination on the area around the workpiece, thereby adversely affecting the quality of the cutting operation.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a cutting apparatus that is capable of overcoming the aforesaid drawback of the prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided a cutting apparatus that comprises: a base adapted to support a workpiece thereon; a pivot extending in a longitudinal direction and defining a first axis; a blade-holding arm extending in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal direction and having a free end and a pivot end that is opposite to the free end and that is pivoted to the base through the pivot so as to be pivotable relative to the base about the first axis, the pivot being secured to the pivot end of the blade-holding arm for co-rotation therewith about the first axis; a blade mounted rotatably on the blade-holding arm for cutting the workpiece; a light-emitting unit pivoted to the blade-holding arm at a position between the free end and the pivot end of the blade-holding arm so as to be pivotable relative to the blade-holding arm about a second axis that extends in the longitudinal direction and that is parallel to the first axis, the light-emitting unit being adapted to project a spotlight upon a working area around the workpiece on the base; and a position-adjusting unit including a first linkage that is secured to the pivot so as to co-rotate therewith, and a second linkage that has two opposite ends which are respectively pivoted to the first linkage and the light-emitting unit in such a manner that pivoting movement of the blade-holding arm relative to the base about the first axis in a first direction results in corresponding pivoting movement of the light-emitting unit relative to the base about the first axis in the first direction and relative to the blade-holding arm about the second axis in a second direction opposite to the first direction to an extent sufficient to maintain projection of the spotlight upon the working area.